Artificial limb.



- H. W. KARN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION -F|LED DEC. 6. I916.

Patented Get. 30,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I H. W. KARN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. I916- 7 1,244,612; Patented 001;. 30,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

* INVENTOR HARRY w. KARN, or rrrrsisnncn', PENNSYLVANIA;

.ARTIFICIAL ma e.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, HARRY W. KARN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements, in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention refers to improvements in artificial limbs, more especially an artificial articulated leg, consisting ofan upper thigh portion adapted to "form a receiving. connecting receptacle for the stump of the human leg, and having a lower portion pivotally connected to turn at the knee joint.

The improvement consists in;mechanis1n by which the lower. limb member maybe operated on its pivot by the user, and the invention is constructed and adapted to 0p erate in the manner more'fully hereinafter described. l

- Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a general view in elevation showing the device as applied to the body. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical-sectional view showing the compound leg member (161 tached.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view indicated by the section line III, III of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4: is a detail face-view of the .front portion at the knee joint, as relaxed.

I Fig. 5 is a perspective detail viewishowing a modification. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view and Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing furthere modified arrangements of the .actu'at-* ing cord mechanism.

7 The artificial leg members A, B, are of I generally usual construction, made of wood or other suitable light strong'material, the member A having at its upper portion-a re ceiving terminal 0; adapted to fit closely around the stump of the amputated limb and to be held thereon by the tension of the supporting and connecting elements, here'- inafter described.

The lower member B is pivotally connected by bolt 2 with the upper member A in a well-known manner whereby the two members are articulated to provide the knee joint. The lower outer front portion of the upper member A is rounded as indicated at 3 and fits neatly within the upper front edge. 7

portion 4: of the member B, providing for a small overlapping extension of each member at varying positions Specification of Letters Patent,

Application filed December 6, 1916. Serial No. 135,316.

srarns PATENT ornion. f

. PatentedOct ,1 7;

.The terminal member A, rounded as stated, is vertically recessed as indicated at 5, 5,-prov1d1ng vertically. arranged rounded grooves extending inwardly beyond the rounded surface 3 and providing by their bottoms 6 easy sliding bearings forthe conwardly the member B may be erected on raised into longitudinal alinement with member A. 7

Another advantage lifting cords 7 is that in caseeitherone breaks the efii'ciency of the mechanism isnot materially P ed and .will continue. to Perate satisfactorily.

As indicated in Fig.4, grooves 5 and cords 7 are normally covered by. an outer sheathmg or covering 24 of. canvas, leather, or.

in having a pair of' other suitable finishing material adapted .to. I

provide asmooth exterior to the members of the artificial limb. 1 A

, Each cord 7 is provided atits upper end with a groovedsheave pulley :10 pivoted -at 11in a carryingbracket 12 which is con;

nected'at 13 to the upper end of cord 7, with suitable tension.;.-,For the purpose 'of sof connecting cords 7'and their connecting sheaves l0 withuppershouldereactuated op-l erativemechanism, I use a pair of cords let,

eachof which is provided at the front with a ring or other suitable connecting device 15,,

and at the back with a similar ring or con necting device 16. Cords 14, being continuous from each such ring 15 to the other ring 16, are thus free to engage with varying degrees of tension the sheaves 10 and to exert a pulling action on oneuor the other of cords 7 independently.

'For the purpose of. thus transmitting independent active tension to one cord 701' the other, I utilize independent suspender straps or braces 17 and 18, respectively,

adapted to pass over the left and right shoulder respectively of the wearer, as shown in Fig. l,and provided with suitable devices for taking up slack, as buckles. 19. Each cord let is preferably passed through a suitable keeper or guiding and retaining loop device 20 at the front and 21 at the back upper portion of the main upper limb membenA so'a's to retain the cords in operative position on the outer portion of the 11ml) brackets 12: having short cords 7 connected to back or calf portion of the as indicated at 9. I I

The construction and operation otherwise is generally the'same as above described.

in Figs. Sand 7 the construction is the section B same as that shown in Fig. 2, except that in place of the sheave '10 I use a terminal open ring 10 through which the cord 14L passes freely, avoiding the necessity of a sheave or pulley wheel. The several other parts of the device are similarly indicated by correspondin-g numbers, double primed.

The construction and operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description. Shoulder braces. 17

and 18, are actuated, either one or the other, by the user, by raising one shoulder or the other, thereby exerting a lifting tension and effecting the tightening of either cord :7. This upward pulling. action throws the lower leg member B outwardly in a forward. direction in the act. of walking, .and lowering-of ithe shouldercorrespondingly effects lowering of the limb by gravity to a natural position of repose. A specialadvantage in providing the double connections is that Copies of this patent, may be obtained for thereby avoiding undue fatigue so that the usermay accomplish the expected functions of the device without special or tiresome effort.

, What I claim is 1. An artificial limb consisting of upper and lower articulated members, a flexible element connected with the lower of said members, and a flexible element passing through the front and back portion of the upper member, having movableconnection with said element and having terminal connecting devices, said first named flexible element passin over a rigid bearing portion in the upper of the articulated members adj acent its connection with the lower member.

2. An artificial limb consisting of upper and lower articulated members, a cord at tachedto the lower of said membersand bearing against 'thenpper member below its outer surface passing intosaid member and provided with a terminal sheave wheel, and an actuating cord engaging said sheave wheel and passing through the front-and back portion of the upper member andprovided with terminal connectingdevices.

' 3; In combination, an upper hollow limb member adapted to emb 'ace the stump of the human thigh and provided with a vertically grooved perforated knee portion, a lower hollow leg. member pivoted to the terminal of said upper member, a cord attached to the rear portion of said lower member passing through the grooved 'per-,

forated part of theupper member and provided with a terminal sheave wheel within said upper member, and an actuating cord engaging said sheave wheel and passing freely throughperforationsin the front and back portions of the upper member and pro nrnnr w. KARN.

five Wilts each, byaddressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, ILC. g p t 

